Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies {Gluten-free}

It's the most wonderful time of the year. In foodie language that means it's time to bust out my two fave ingredients: chocolate and peppermint. And there's only one thing that makes these ingredients yummier - combining them! I created this recipe with some of my gluten-free friends in mind. I realized that a lot of holiday parties exclude folks who are gluten-free, grain-free, paleo or even vegan. These protein-packed cookies cover them all. And if you're not any of those persuasions, I dare you to try one of these. Hint: you might want to make a double batch from the start.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients:
-2 1/2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour*
-1/4 cup coconut flour
-1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 cup raw honey
-1/4 cup raw virgin coconut oil, melted
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 cup chocolate chips (gluten-free)
-1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flours, sea salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
3. Add in honey, coconut oil and vanilla. Stir gently just to incorporate. You don't want to overwork the dough.
4. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts if desired.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheet.
6. Bake approximately 8-10 minutes until edges are just golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool a least 15 minutes without touching them. IF you try to take the cookies off the pan early, they will not set and turn out a gooey mess.

Makes 1 dozen.

Nutty chocolate chip cookies {Gluten-free, paleo}

We have been experimenting with some grain-free or gluten-free recipes over the last several months. My hubby caught a parasite when we were in Haiti last summer and we were advised a natural way to get rid of it would be to stop feeding it sugars and grains - even natural ones. Long story short, Ericlee tried out a grain-free diet (also called a paleo diet) and got rid of the parasite. Paleo is all the rage right now with the CrossFit community.

Serving up grain-free eats seemed impossible to me at first. I do like to bake and using some of the alternative flours like coconut flour and almond flour was frustrating. The flours did not behave the way I was used to.

I was determined to find a chocolate chip cookie that tasted decent. My friend Jen turned me on to this recipe by BakerGal and then I ventured out to create my own. My hubby goes nuts (pun intended) about these chewy cookies. I love that they are protein-packed and have that familiar nutty-melty-chocolatey flavor. You won't feel guilty about downing a plate of these babies!

We are not eating 100% paleo or gluten-free now but we do see a lot of benefits of this style of eating. I love that I have this dessert option to share with friends who are paleo or gluten-free. And my kids are choosing these over regular chocolate chip cookies so I'd say they are winner in our household. My kids were fighting me yesterday for a scoop of cookie dough even before they were baked up!

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
-2 1/2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour*
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 cup raw honey
-1/4 cup raw virgin coconut oil, melted
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 cup chocolate chips (gluten-free)
-1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, sea salt, baking soda, honey, coconut oil and vanilla. Stir gently just to incorporate. You don't want to overwork the dough.
3. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts if desired.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheet.
5. Bake approximately 8-10 minutes until edges are just golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool a least 15 minutes without touching them. IF you try to take the cookies off the pan early, they will not set and turn out a gooey mess.

Makes 1 dozen.

*My favorite almond flour can be found in the nut section at Trader Joe's. This flour is more reasonably priced than other brands and is very finely ground for a smoother texture in the cookie.

Recipe of the Week: Double Chocolate Almond Brownies

I have a hankering for chocolate all the time, but especially when I'm pregnant. Now that I'm in my second trimester I've got some of my cooking mojo back. The fun part is all these ingredients were in my pantry. My friend just had a C-section the other day so I'm bringing these babies to the hospital for her. Move over hospital food. Try these brownies with a healthy twist!

Ingredients:
-1 cup organic butter
-4 cage-free eggs
-3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (could use squares of unsweetened chocolate and skip the oil)
-4 tablespoons olive oil
-1 cup organic sugar
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
-2 teaspoons ground flaxseed

-1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
-1/2 cup sliced almonds (could use walnuts, pecans or even dried cranberries)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper or greasing with olive oil.
3. Melt butter and add to a large bowl.
4. Add cocoa powder, olive oil.
5. Whisk in eggs one at a time.
6. Add sugar, flour and baking powder.
7. Stir in flaxseed.
8. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth top of batter.
9. Sprinkle chocolate chips and almonds on top.
10. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until top of brownies is springy to the touch.

Recipe of the Week: Carrot Tea Party Muffins

My girls (and the little boy I babysit) are into the "tea party phase." Today I decided to make up a new mini-muffin recipe using what we had on hand. Meilani had her friend Mia over and all four of the little ones put on aprons. Don't get me wrong: flour was flyin' and grubby hands were reaching in the batter but the result was this yummy (and healthy) new muffin recipe. Don't forget the flaxseed to give them some good omega-3s! We made these in our mini-muffin tins and they were perfect tea party fare. You could even frost them with cream cheese and honey blended for an extra special flair.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
2 tablespoons organic butter, softened
1 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups oats, uncooked
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons flaxseed, ground
1/2 cup honey (or organic raw sugar)
2 cups carrots, shredded (could substitute zucchini or apples)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend together egg, butter, milk and yogurt.
3. Add dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flaxseed.
4. Mix in honey/sugar, carrots, raisins and chocolate chips.
5. Grease muffin tins with olive oil spray. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop batter into tins. Bake 15-20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown on top and springy to the touch.

Makes 2 dozen mini-muffins or 1 dozen large muffins.

Wednesday Pantry Challenge: Dessert = Chocolate-Pumpkin Ravioli

What's for Breakfast:
Cranberry-walnut toast with Butter (Dorina)
Trader O's (Meilani)
Ellie Krieger's Maple Granola (Ericlee)
Banana (Ericlee)
Hibiscus-Cranberry Juice (from Trader Joe's)

What's for Lunch:
Curried Egg Salad sandwiches
Leftover Fall Flavors Vegetarian Lasagna (dinner last night)
Grapes

What's for Dinner:
Taco Bar with tortillas, ground beef, cabbage, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, sour cream, avocadoes & rice (by Troy & Allison Vasquez)
Green Salad with Almonds and Avocadoes & Ranch Dressing (by Stacie & Forest Benedict)
Dessert: Chocolate-Pumpkin Ravioli (recipe below)

Day Three of The Great Pantry Challenge solidifies more of my theory from yesterday: Living out of our pantry has been no real sacrifice because we live in community. Tonight we enjoyed a fabulous dinner with our Small Group friends. We get together with three other couples and their kids every other week for a shared meal and a chance to support each other in this season of life. We each bring an assigned part of the meal - Salad, Side Dish, Entree or Dessert. We rotate houses so the family hosting doesn't feel the burden of the Entree (and the dishes) too often. For the last five years we have celebrated community through food, conversation around the table, prayer and encouraging our kids to play together.

Tonight it was our turn to bring the dessert. Since it's fall, I had to bust out my favorite fall flavors - pumpkin & chocolate. (Yes, that's what was in the pantry!) At first, I thought about some kind of chocolate tart but I didn't really have time to mix up a crust, chill it and roll it out. After scrounging through the refrigerator and cupboards, I also found some wonton wrappers from the cooking contest I entered at The Big Fresno Fair two weeks ago. I thought about a dessert I saw an Italian chef once make - Chocolate Ravioli. What about Chocolate-Pumpkin Ravioli? That's a Harvest party in your mouth as far as I'm concerned. (Find recipe below.)  The warm chocolate melded with the spiced pumpkin inside a crispy wonton is so flavorful we all wished there were more.

My favorite part of this challenge is that it forces me to be creative with what I have. Who says we can't eat healthy and delicious food? Who says eating out of the pantry has to be boring? Not me. That's why I tackled dessert tonight with the enthusiasm of a die-hard football fan at a home game. This is how new recipes are created. I encourage you to try something new this week. Grab a few ingredients you always have on hand and see what happens when you marry them together. It might just be a family hit!

A Note from our Nutrition Guy (aka my hubby Ericlee):
Chocolate is not only a yummy treat, it also happens to be a great choice for dessert if you do it right. Some chocolate choices are high in sugar, high fructose corn syrup and other harmful chemicals for your body. Chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa is better for you. Choose chocolates that are labeled "semi-sweet" or "dark chocolate" and avoid milk chocolate or chocolate with other additives.

You've probably heard that chocolate is full of antioxidants. What are antioxidants? They are compounds that protect our cells from damage. Call them the policemen of your body. Policemen keep our city safe and fight off the offenders. Antioxidants do the same. They keep our body healthy and fight off cancer cells.

With Halloween right around the corner, you might choose a chocolate bar over a piece of hard candy filled with poisonous dyes. Trader Joe's as well as other stores are selling small-sized chocolate bars (with no additives) just for the occasion. That is, if you're looking for an alternative to the mainstream Halloween treats. We trade our daughter for non-food items or Jamba Juice cards.



Chocolate-Pumpkin Ravioli

Ingredients:
1 cup organic pumpkin puree (canned or from a baked sugar pumpkin)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cream cheese or mascarpone cheese, softened
1 egg
30 wonton wrappers
olive oil spray or 2 tablespoons olive oil (& pastry brush)
3 tablespoons organic butter

Garnish:
mini chocolate chips
mint leaf
whipped cream

1. Mix together filling ingredients: pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, chocolate and cream cheese in a small bowl.
2. Cover two cookie sheets with parchment or waxed paper.
3. Beat egg in small bowl and set at work station with pastry brush.
4. Brush the edges of a wonton wrapper with egg. Add teaspoon of filling to corner of wonton wrapper. Fold wrapper at a diagonal, forming a triangle shape. Press edges together . Lay out on cookie sheet. Continue filling wontons, (I like to do two at a time) until they are all filled.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray wontons with olive oil spray or brush with olive oil. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and serve 3-4 at a time on a dessert plate. For garnish, sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, a mint leaf or add a spoonful of whipping cream.

*This is a dessert you will want to do the final steps right before serving so the chocolate is warm and melty.

Chocolate Lover's Dream: Recipes for Valentine Desserts

Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and chocolate is my craving. Maybe it's because February means Valentine's Day, which means there is an abundance of chocolate and desserts in every store, restaurant and on every advertisement. Whatever the reason, I have chocolate on the brain. This is actually a repost from last February but I had to share this Chocolate Lava Cake recipe with some of our new readers. Dark chocolate is definitely the way to go.

What's the skinny on dark chocolate? They say dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant - great for combatting high blood pressure and other diseases. (You don't have to twist my arm!) Of course, pay attention to sugar additives and avoid milk chocolate or white chocolate. Those don't count. Trader Joe's now sells organic free trade dark chocolate bars. Also check out Whole Foods, Kristina's Market and some conventional grocery stores.




Here's a twist on Ghirardelli Chocolate Lava Cakes - great for Valentine's Day treats, Saturday desserts or anytime you want to impress your guests. You will need ramekins or other small pyrex dishes to bake them in. I bought heart-shaped foil pans at Dollar Tree to give them a Hearts Day flair for the fam. Serve them up warm and you will be the new queen or king of the house.

Makes 8 cakes

Ingredients:

Center:
1/2 (2 oz.) dark chocolate (60% bittersweet Cacao or more)
1/4 cup heavy cream or raw milk

Cakes:
olive oil cooking spray
1 bar (4 oz.) dark chocolate (60% bittersweet Cacao or more)
8 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
2 whole cage-free eggs
2 cage-free egg yolks
1/3 cup sucanat (available at health food stores like Whole Foods) or 1/4 cup organic raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

Garnish:
Fresh organic raspberries or strawberries
Mint leaves
Organic Chocolate Moo sauce (available at Trader Joe's)

Directions:
1. To make centers, melt chocolate and cream in a double boiler. (If you don't have a double boiler, set a sturdy glass bowl on a top of a small saucepan 1/4 filled with water.) When chocolate melts, whisk gently to blend. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Form into 6-8 small balls, depending on how many cakes you want to make.
2. To make cake, heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray ramekins or tins with olive oil spray.
3. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler and whisk to blend.
4. With an electric mixer, whisk yolks, sugar and vanilla on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and light. You will notice the change in consistency.
5. Fold melted chocolate into egg mixtures until combined.
6. Spoon batter into ramekins or tins. Place one chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin.
7. Bake about 15 minutes until cake is firm to the touch.
8. Cool for 5 minutes then invert onto your serving plate and garnish.





Another new recipe I stole from my mom is for Chocolate-Dipped Granola Cookies. She served this one for guests with chocolate-dipped strawberries - another family fave with a healthy twist. We all were fighting over these cookies. This is from the 101 Cookies recipe book and we tweaked it to add more healthy ingredients. Enjoy!



CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ORANGE GRANOLA COOKIES

Ingredients:
2 cups organic uncooked oats
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 cup organic butter, melted
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 cage-free eggs
2 teaspoons orange peel, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 12-oz. package semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips until blended.
2. Cover & refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
5. Use a tablespoon or (Pampered Chef) cookie scoop to shape oat mixture into golf ball-sized mounds.
6. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
7. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden & crisp.
8. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks.
9. Melt chocolate chips
10. Dip tops of cookies one at a time into melted chocolate or spoon a small amount of chocolate on top of cookies to form a small circle of chocolate.
11. Place on wax paper until chocolate is set.

Here are some links to some other Healthy Chocolate Dessert Recipes from Eating Well magazine.

Also, here's a great article about "Chocolate Essentials" from Cooking Light magazine if you want to learn more about how chocolate is made and different types of chocolate used in baking.

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Truffle Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients:
6 squares/ounces baker's dark chocolate (I use Ghirardelli brand or dark chocolate chips.)
3/4 cup (organic) butter
1/2 cup (organic) raw sugar
2 (cage-free) eggs
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup chopped candy canes

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a glass bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. When melted, stir together with a whisk.
2. Stir in sugar.
3. Whisk in eggs one at a time, mixing well, until blended.
4. Add flour and baking powder and mix well. (Dough will be very soft.)
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place on a greased baking sheet.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle immediately with crushed candy canes. Cool and remove from pans.

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

Ok, friends. I know some of you have been begging me for this recipe. I've been on a quest for a long time for a "healthy" but yummy cookie. I think I found one - at least one that passes our family's chewy, chocolatey, yummy test. I have to give a nod to my friend Lisa Pearmain from Arizona who inspired this recipe. She served up her own version this summer. I've doctored it a bit to make it with a healthy twist.

1 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups quick or old fashioned oats uncooked
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup organic raw brown sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup organic canned pumpkin (found in baking section of market)
1 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
3. Mix butter and yogurt then gradually brown sugar.
4. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.
5. Mix in pumpkin and then stir in chocolate chips.
6. Bake 18-20 minutes or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Cool then eat or store!

Note: Makes about 3 dozen cookies if you use heaping teaspoon size dough. I double the recipe because one can 15-ounce pumpkin has 2 cups as does a package of chocolate chips. Not to mention, these cookies go fast. Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Lava Antioxidant Cakes

For years, my sister and brother-in-law have implemented Saturdays as dessert day with their kids. That means they avoid sugary desserts throughout the week but reward the kids on Saturdays with special treats. I've seen other families try this with great success. It gives kids something to look forward to and incentive to make healthy choices throughout the week. Also, it gets away from the idea that we *need* dessert every night.

That said, there is a time for dessert and I'm always on the lookout for "healthy desserts" or ways to tweak old faves to make them more healthful.

Here's a twist on Ghirardelli Chocolate Lava Cakes - great for Valentine's Day treats, Saturday desserts or anytime you want to impress your guests. You will need ramekins or other small pyrex dishes to bake them in. I bought heart-shaped foil pans at Dollar Tree to give them a Hearts Day flair for the fam. Serve them up warm and you will be the new queen or king of the house.

What's the skinny on dark chocolate? They say dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant - great for combatting high blood pressure and other diseases. (You don't have to twist my arm!) Of course, pay attention to sugar additives and avoid milk chocolate or white chocolate. Those don't count. Trader Joe's now sells organic free trade dark chocolate bars. Also check out Whole Foods, Kristina's Market and some conventional grocery stores.

Makes 6-8 cakes

Ingredients:

Center:
1/2 (2 oz.) dark chocolate (60% bittersweet Cacao or more)
1/4 cup heavy cream or raw milk

Cakes:
olive oil cooking spray
1 bar (4 oz.) dark chocolate (60% bittersweet Cacao or more)
8 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
2 whole cage-free eggs
2 cage-free egg yolks
1/3 cup sucanat (available at health food stores like Whole Foods) or 1/4 cup organic raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

Garnish:
Fresh organic raspberries or strawberries
Mint leaves
Organic Chocolate Moo sauce (available at Trader Joe's)

Directions:
1. To make centers, melt chocolate and cream in a double boiler. (If you don't have a double boiler, set a sturdy glass bowl on a top of a small saucepan 1/4 filled with water.) When chocolate melts, whisk gently to blend. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Form into 6-8 small balls, depending on how many cakes you want to make.
2. To make cake, heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray ramekins or tins with olive oil spray.
3. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler and whisk to blend.
4. With an electric mixer, whisk yolks, sugar and vanilla on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and light. You will notice the change in consistency.
5. Fold melted chocolate into egg mixtures until combined.
6. Spoon batter into ramekins or tins. Place one chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin.
7. Bake about 15 minutes until cake is firm to the touch.
8. Cool for 5 minutes then invert onto your serving plate and garnish.